Mercury condenser



June 5, 1928. 1,672,499 v E. K. PETERS MERCURY CONDENSER Filed Jan. 10, 1927 IINVENTOR.

-EKPeters .uiwg

- A TTORNEY Patented June 1928.

ERNEST K. PETERS, or FRESNO, CALIFORNIA,

MERCURY coNnEnsER.

Application filed Jannary 10, 192 seriai at. 160,191;

This invention relates to improvements'in dental laboratory apparatus, my principal object being to, provide furnace for carryin out the process set forth in'my Patent with the heattreatment of the latter for the purpose set forth in said patent. I I I A further object of the invention is to produ' yet one which will beexceedingly effective for the purpose for which' it is designed.

These objects such structure and'relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by "alperusal of the following specification and'ccl'aim's, In the drawings similar, charactersof reference indicatecorresponding parts in: the several views: l Fig. 1; is a side View of my improved furnace and condenser, the former mainly an exterior elevation and the latter in section. Fig.2 is a plan view of asupport or pan for the amalgamto be treated,

Fig. 3 is a pln view'of onerorm of'con:

denser baflle-disc'. I

Fig-44' is a similar" View of the other or alternate form of baflle-disca Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the furnace comprises a casing 1 converging toward its upper end to unite with a flue 2. The casing has a hinged side door 3. provided with a suitable latch 4, the door itself having an opening 5 therein, preferably of rectangular form. The, casing rests on an asbestos plate 6 which has a central opening 7, the plate being fitted in a supporting member 8 having legs 9. A Bunsen burner 10 or the like is placed under the plate 6 so that the flame from the burner will be directed into the furnace casing through the opening 7. The casing rests solidly on the plate 6 so as to prevent the formation of eddy currents from about the bottom rim of the casing. I

The flue 2 leads to the top ofacondenser which comprises a vertical and preferably circular casing consisting of a cap 11 to which the flue is connected, a main body 12 detachably connected to the cap and a base 13 detachably connected to the body. These members of the condenser when connected together form a substantially air-tight ence asim'ple and inexpensive device and llacco mplish 'by means of closure. Disposed in the condensercasing is anuinber of vertically spaced discs preferably having a closeffitWith the, interiorof thebody l2, and having a number ofi'circuniferentially spaced openings 15 therethrough adjacent the brim/f Located. intermediate the discs; 14 in spaced relation there-c to are other'discslfi of similar nature having a; single central openin 117 therethrough,

The discs are all rcmova lo and the bottom one '(which'is of the type a stem 18 connected thereto whichprojects upwardly through all'the'discs so asito enable thesame to be withdrawn vertically when the condenser cap is removed.

Sponges'l9 or othersimilarfporous bers or material substantially fill the condenser casing between the discsQjThe base l3'hasa'side opening (below thelowermost? disc), from which a gas outlet- 2lleads to the intake of asucti on fan 21 of suitable type. Thefopening'2'0' is normally covered I by a remoyable screen-22,of gauze or the like. A wat'er'drain passage23 normally closed by a plug Q LeXtends outwardly from thebottoin of tli efb ase l3 andflue 2L Arranged outside the condenser is atomizer" 25 of suitable character, the atomizer pipe 26 from which leads into the flue 2 and terminates in a downwardly facing nozzle 27 disposed to throw a spray into the top of the condenser.

The amalgam to be heat treated, said amalgam being of mercury and gold asset forth in the aforementioned patent, is placed on a support or pan preferably comprising a frame 28 having a wire mesh bottom 29, a handle 30 of suitable length and character projecting outwardly from the frame.

In operation the amalgam member is placed on the pan which'is inserted into the furnace through the opening 5 or through the larger opening obtained by opening the door 3. With the operation of the burner- 10 an intense heat is had in the furnace 'lii of the condenser has been reached.

,cury content of said gas will be condensed before it has a'chance to escape, so that by the time the outlet 21 is reached only gas having no commercial value remains. The

uppermost sponges of course tend to receive most of the mercury, so when upon inspection the gauze screen 22 is found to have mercury adherng thereto, itmay be taken as a sign that the mercury collecting capacity The parts of the condenser are then disassembled to enable the sponges to be removed, so that the latter may'then be treated in the proper man for the recovery of their mercury content in concentrated form.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen'that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

WVhile this specdication sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined. by the appended claims. Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A mercury condenser comprising a vertical casing, gas intake and outlet passages at the top and bottom thereof respectively, and sponges substantially filling the casing betweenthe intake and outlet.

2. A mercury condenser comprising a vertical casing, gas intake and outlet passages at the opposite ends thereof, means in the casng between the intake and outlet for catching and retaining any mercury in the gases passing from the intake to the outlet anda removable gauze screen across the out let at the inception thereof.

A mercury condenser comprising a vertical casing, a removable cap for the casing, anintake pipe connected to the cap, re-

movable vertically spaced perforated, plates in the casing, andelements to collectand reta n mercury removably mounted between and supported by the plates. j

4c. A mercury condenser comprising a vertical casing, a removable cap for the casof vertically spaced plates in the casing fitting between the sides, alternate ones of said plates having a central opening and the remainder having openings adjacent their periphery, and'mercury. collecting material between said plates.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ERNEST K. PETERS. 

